Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? My experimentation with a fruit diet may have ruined avocados for me... forever.
A core memory from my childhood was watching a show about doctors inspecting people’s diets. I know, it’s very thrilling. For some reason, my fascination with the fruitarian episode has been stuck in my head for years. You might’ve heard of notable names who tried the all-fruit diet. Co-founder of Apple (no pun intended) Steve Jobs is one of them, having also gone through vegetarian and vegan diets for most of his life. Even though American actor Ashton Kutcher got pancreatitis from trying the diet and ended up in the hospital, my morbid curiosity couldn’t be stopped.
So I decided to take the opportunity to jump right into the fruit diet and see what the fuss is about. But not before doing thorough research to make sure what happened to Ashton didn’t happen to me.
What exactly is fruitarianism?
To put it simply, fruitarianism is a subset of veganism taken to the extreme. The diet consists of mostly fruits eaten raw, though some variations give allowance for fat, so you can eat veggies and nuts. You may be wondering why would someone adopt an all-fruit diet, but I believe it comes from the same reason behind a vegetarian or vegan diet. It isn’t always about what you eat; it’s the philosophy behind it.
Elika Tasker, a nutritionist and health coach, has tried over 57 dietary theories. She tells me, “It’s about seeds of life. When you eat a fruit and throw it away, the seed is replanted. And that plant becomes a tree. It’s a sustainable circle.” After 30 days of practising the fruit diet, she saw drastic improvements in her digestion. Overcoming her cravings was a struggle, but she maintains that “these diets are good for momentary times in our life to deeply cleanse at a cellular level.”
Perks aside, we can’t ignore the fact that there are huge gaps in terms of nutrition. “The fibre and vitamin content of this diet is favourable, but it lacks the essential fatty acids women need for hormone balance,” fitness and nutrition coach Amanda Lim says. Missing protein from your diet can also lead to sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass.
Since I would be limiting my diet, I figured I should get as many nutrients as I could. “Eat to satiety, incorporate as many colours of the rainbow to get a great micronutrient profile, and drink plenty of water,” Amanda advises. Elika also recommends having a variety of textures to keep things exciting.
With their well wishes (and multiple “good lucks” from the Honeycombers team), I begin my week.
Let the fruit feasting begin
Day 0: Starting off on the right foot
I’ll be honest: I didn’t have much of a game plan going into this. Things had gotten so busy that I almost forgot to shop. I thought I’d only be having sweet meals throughout the week, but you’d be surprised at the number of vegetables that are actually considered fruits!
Since I was already nervous, I didn’t venture too far into the realm of new fruits and gathered up everything I was familiar with instead. I also decided that if I fell sick, I’d put a stop to this. Fingers crossed.
Day 1: What a great start!
I had my doubts coming into the diet, but I think I’m doing well. I griped briefly about the chilly weather to my team during a morning meeting, and how I wanted a bowl of soup but couldn’t have one. This led to a colleague sending a recipe for fruit soup that we all agreed looked a little nasty. Surprisingly, I managed to get through the day on just fruit and didn’t feel very hungry by the end of it. I hope this bodes well for the rest of my week.
What I ate: Three huge strawberries, a handful of grapes, two bananas, and half of a really sour kiwi.
Day 2: Black coffee might be growing on me
For anyone who knows me, I adore coffee. I can drink three cups before noon. But I have to take it with milk and sometimes sugar. So I was hesitant to make the switch to black coffee for my diet. But to my (very delighted) surprise, the black coffee in the office wasn’t too bad. I even went back for a second cup.
The biggest struggle today was ignoring the smell of everyone’s warm lunches. I also had the slightly torturous task of filming Instagram stories for some chocolate pastries we received (thanks, team). While I can’t say I was feeling particularly hungry, I also didn’t feel very satisfied. I’m not gonna lie, I already miss warm food.
What I ate and dank: Two cups of black coffee, two bananas, three smashed avocados, a handful of cherry tomatoes, half a cucumber, three sweet peppers, and a box of blueberries.
Day 3: Hump day struggles
The morning wasn’t so bad, but I couldn’t wait for lunch. Yikes. I tried to remember what Elika said to me, that the first few days are usually a mental game. Unfortunately, I almost lost and fought the urge to toast a piece of bread to go with my avocados today. But I went back to cucumber sticks. I’ll admit, I do feel more irritable than normal. Maybe that’s just from the lack of sleep.
What I ate: Three smashed avocados, cherry tomatoes, half a cucumber, a box of blueberries, and two bananas.
Day 4: My enthusiasm wanes
The thought of eating another avocado made me feel ill, so I walked through the supermarket to find something new. I didn’t think banana chips counted as fruit so I stopped myself from getting them. I stocked up on apples and bananas for my family while trying to ignore the snack aisle. Someone asked me if I’d end up revenge eating all the things I missed out on. I hope not. My mum brought home durians which are one of my favourite fruits, and I had the excuse to feast on them! It definitely helped today in terms of filling myself up.
What I ate: Half a watermelon, four strawberries, three bananas, an apple, three pieces of durian, and a box of blueberries.
Day 5: Oops…
When we got an invite to a Korean barbecue place earlier in the week, it posed a dilemma. First, was I going to skip out on the tasting? To me, the answer was definitely no. I didn’t want to miss an event with my team. But that posed a second issue – do I sit there awkwardly eating fruit or cave and dine with them? I’ll be honest, I didn’t mull over the decision for long and enjoyed some cold crab with grilled wagyu. I also polished off a bottle of soju. No regrets.
What I ate: Black coffee, a banana, a little bit of everything at Nami Korean Grill House, and one (or maybe two?) bottles of soju.
Sorting out my mixed feelings
I didn’t last a week, unfortunately. You don’t realise how long seven days are until you actually have to go through it. But even after four and a half days, I’ve learned a lot about myself and this diet.
Unlike Elika, I don’t think I can say my digestion improved drastically. But my eating habits have definitely shifted. I feel a lot cleaner since I was eating raw food, and I find myself not as keen on food that’s too oily or salty now. Meal planning wasn’t difficult since I was eating fruit in its purest form. But trying to eat to satiation was a struggle. Fruits aren’t very calorie dense, so I was constantly eating. By the third day, I was always hungry and couldn’t focus as much because I kept thinking about my next meal.
My social life definitely took a turn for the worst. I tried being strategic by picking a week where I had few plans. But spontaneous celebrations and a last-minute invite to a night out still came my way. I had to decline, which is unlike me. When I did meet up with friends, they asked why I wasn’t eating dinner, followed by questions like, “why do you do this to yourself?” I laughed it off.
My final thoughts on the fruitarian diet
While I struggled with self-discipline this week, I’m not opposed to trying this diet again. It felt like a much-needed deviation from my regular diet, and it’s made me more conscious of my food choices. It won’t be something I incorporate into my daily life, but maybe when I feel like I need a “reset”, I‘ll come back to it.
At least I can say I’ve tried the all-fruit diet. Now, I’m going to take all my leftover bananas and make a banana cake to celebrate.
Got any other diets for us to try? DM us @Honeycombers!